A restaurant in Cluses?
Hosting visitors of Watchmaking and Bar-Turning Museum ? Appear here.
Become a partnerPaid · Book online
Watchmaking and Bar-Turning Museum
At the Espace Carpano & Pons in Cluses, this guardian of time of the Arve valley retraces the saga of the peasant clockmakers from the 18th century to the bar-turning revolution. The world's largest collection of escapements.
Ajakane · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Type
Industrial and social history museum
Access
Paid entry
Price
€5 adult · free under 12 · 1st Sun. free
Duration
1 h to 1 h 30
Best season
Year-round (closed 11-30 Nov)
Parking
Town centre
Animals
Not allowed
Stroller / Reduced mobility
Accessible
Town
Cluses
Wheelchair access
Accessible Source: Acceslibre
💶
Price
Plein tarif
5,00 €Adulte
Tarif jeune
3,00 €Jeunes (à vérifier sur place)
Moins de 12 ans
0,00 €Gratuit
Premier dimanche du mois
0,00 €Gratuit (de septembre à juin)
What is Watchmaking and Bar-Turning Museum
The Musée de l'Horlogerie et du Décolletage at Cluses is the timekeeper of the Arve valley, world capital of precision bar-turning. Housed in the Espace Carpano & Pons at 100 place du 11 Novembre, the museum tells the extraordinary industrial and social saga of the valley: the evolution of the know-how of the peasant watchmakers of the 18th century into the emergence of decolletage during the industrial revolution, and on to today's precision industry.
The collection traces the evolution of time-measuring instruments from astronomy to precision watchmaking: sundials and astronomical rings, nocturlabes, candle and oil clocks, table and edifice clocks, cartels and watches whose complexity is unveiled by enlarged scale models of mechanisms. The museum holds the world's largest collection of escapements — the watchmaking system that regulates the gear train.
The second half is devoted to bar-turning, the industry that transformed the Arve valley: historic turning machines, micro-components, applications in aerospace, automotive, Swiss watchmaking and medical sectors. Prices: full price €5, youth €3, free under 12. Free the first Sunday of the month, September to June. Open Tuesday-Saturday 2 pm-6 pm September-June, and daily 10 am-12 pm and 2 pm-6 pm in July-August. Annual closure 11-30 November.
Activities
What you can do here
Practical
Practical information
Address
Espace Carpano & Pons, 100 place du 11 Novembre, 74300 Cluses View on map
Coordinates
46.056437° N — 6.579952° E
Altitude
approx. 485 m
Opening hours
1 September - 30 June: Tue-Sat 2 pm-6 pm. July-August: every day 10 am-12 pm and 2 pm-6 pm. Special opening on the first Sunday of each month. Annual closure 11-30 November. Verified 10 June 2026.
Phone
+33 (0)4 50 96 43 00
Official site
musee.2ccam.fr (2CCAM - Cluses Arve & Montagnes Community of Municipalities)
Access / Parking
Surface parking on place du 11 Novembre. Cluses train station 500 m away (Léman Express). A40 'Cluses Centre' exit 5 min away.
Visit duration
approx. 1 h to 1 h 30 depending on interest in precision engineering
Booking
No booking for individual visits. School groups by appointment.
Accessibility
Building accessible to people with reduced mobility (renovated Espace Carpano & Pons).
Access
How to get there
Nearest stops
- Cluses · SNCF (TER) · 600 m
- Gare Routiere · Cars Région Haute-Savoie · N-CMG, Y81, Y92, Y93, Y94 · 629 m
- SNCF (TER) · Official fares & timetables →
- Cars Région Haute-Savoie · Official fares & timetables →
Transport data verified on 2026-06-15 · source transport.data.gouv.fr (Licence Etalab 2.0)
Nearby
Where to eat, drink, stay
A bakery, a shop in Cluses?
Share hours and specialties with visitors of Watchmaking and Bar-Turning Museum.
Become a partnerA nearby stay?
Gîte, B&B, campsite, rental in Cluses.
Become a partnerPhotos
Gallery
Been there? Share your photos — we'll add them to this page with credit. Tag #loisirs74 or email photos@loisirs74.fr
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses cost?
The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses costs €5 full price, €3 for young people, and is free for under-12s. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month (September-June). Verified 10 June 2026.
What are the opening hours of the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses?
The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses is open Tue-Sat 2 pm-6 pm from September to June, and every day 10 am-12 pm and 2 pm-6 pm in July-August. Annual closure 11-30 November. Verified 10 June 2026.
What is there to see at the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses?
The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses presents the world's largest collection of horological escapements, the history of the peasant clockmakers of the Arve and the industrial revolution of bar-turning.
Where is the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses?
The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses is at the Espace Carpano & Pons, 100 place du 11 Novembre, in the centre of Cluses (74300). Train station 500 m away.
Is the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses suitable for children?
Yes. The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses features enlarged mechanical models, workshops during school holidays, and free entry for under-12s.
How long should I plan for the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum of Cluses?
Allow 1 h to 1 h 30 to visit the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum of Cluses, depending on your interest in precision engineering and the Arve's industrial revolution.
Is the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum accessible to visitors with reduced mobility?
Yes. The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses is accessible to people with reduced mobility, in the renovated Espace Carpano & Pons.
When is the Clock and Bar-Turning Museum free?
The Clock and Bar-Turning Museum at Cluses is free on the first Sunday of every month (September to June), and year-round for under-12s.
Sources
Sources & verification
- Musée de l'horlogerie et du décolletage (officiel)
- Cluses Arve & montagnes Tourisme
- Infos pratiques Musée — 2ccam
- Intramuros — Musée de l'Horlogerie
Multi-source verification at publication. Information may change — confirm with the official operator before travelling.
Nearby
Nearby
Other places to explore in the area and in the same category
Free
Arve Valley Cycle Route
Cluses
40 km of greenway from Bonneville to Sallanches via Cluses on the V61 Lake Geneva-Mont-Blanc route. Arve footbridge opened December 2019, smooth asphalt, flat.
Free
Arve Riverside Walk Cluses-Thyez
Cluses
5 km family loop along the Arve between Cluses and Thyez, leading to a leisure lake at the end - flat, wheelchair-accessible greenway in Haute-Savoie.
Paid
Centre Aquatique Intercommunal de Cluses
Cluses
Indoor aquatic centre in Cluses: 25 m pool, 15×15 m learning pool, paddling pool, tube slide. Adult €5, open 7 days a week.
Paid
Clos Parchet Farm Ecomuseum
Samoëns
Traditional 1815 farm turned ecomuseum at Samoëns: 2,000+ utensils, cuzna, pèle, byre, bread oven. Adult €8, under 12 free.
Paid
Musée de la Musique Mécanique
Les Gets
Mechanical Music Museum in Les Gets: 1,000 instruments (orchestrions, pianos, automata). Guided visit 10 EUR, family 38 EUR. Open Dec-Oct.
Paid
Écomusée Paysalp
Viuz-en-Sallaz
Faucigny peasant heritage ecomuseum since 1980, ecomuseum label 2003. 8 sites, 500 m² immersive display on rural life 1850–1950. Adult €7, free under 5.